Nearly two dozen species are being taken off the endangered species list because they are extinct, the U.S.
Most of the species were listed under the Endangered Species Act in the 1970s or 1980s and were very low in numbers or likely already extinct at the time of listing.
There are more than 1,300 species listed as either endangered or threatened in the United States under the Endangered Species Act.
The 21 species being removed include one mammal, 10 types of birds, two species of fish and eight types of mussels.
"The 21 species extinctions highlight the importance of the ESA and efforts to conserve species before declines become irreversible," the government agency wrote in its announcement.
At the time, the agency proposed removing 23 species from the Endangered Species Act.
While some species are removed from the Endangered Species Act because they're considered extinct, others are delisted because their populations have rebounded. »
